Vista Hermosa Foundation
Vista Hermosa Foundation is a private foundation based in Pasco, Washington, established in 1995. The foundation is part of the Broetje Family Trust and was created to use proceeds from Broetje Orchards to serve children and underserved communities both domestically and internationally. The foundation operates Nueva Esperanza Leadership Academy (NELA), a private Christian school serving grades K-8, and provides grantmaking support to community-based organizations aligned with its values.
Financial Overview
From 2024 IRS Form 990-PF · View filing
Total Assets
$174.9M
+6.1% YoY
Annual Giving
$6.1M
+7.1% YoY
Grant Count
86
-6.5% YoY
Avg Grant Size
$71K
+14.6% YoY
Under IRS private-foundation payout rules, Vista Hermosa Foundation reported a distributable amount of $8.5M for 2024 — the minimum it must pay out in qualifying distributions.
Mission & Focus Areas
The foundation's approach prioritizes holistic wellbeing rather than project-based outputs or services. The foundation seeks to invest in healing people's connections to God, self, others, and creation, believing that spiritual healing enables communities to lead themselves toward flourishing.
The foundation identifies a core belief that community brokenness stems not simply from lack of access to education, healthcare, and job creation, but from deeper spiritual issues including lack of voice, purpose, meaningful relationships, agency, and connection.
Primary funding areas include:
- Education
- Human services
- Community and economic development
- Agriculture
- Housing development
- Youth development and youth organizing
- International development and relations
The foundation places particular emphasis on supporting children, women, girls, economically disadvantaged individuals, and Hispanic/Latino communities.
Grantmaking
The foundation uses specific evaluation criteria when exploring new partnerships:
Grant Range
$54,000
How to Apply
**
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Geographic Focus
Where this funder awards grants
The foundation funds in four primary international regions:
- Mexico (with particular focus on rural communities in southern Mexico)
- Haiti
- Northern India
- East Africa
Domestically, the foundation supports work in the tri-cities Washington region, with broader funding across multiple U.S. states including California, Pennsylvania, and various other locations.
Grant Distribution by State
States
Cities
Financial History
Multi-year comparison from IRS filings
Assets & Revenue (2023):
- Total assets: $164,817,667
- Total revenues: $6,985,739
- Total expenses: $8,573,044
Assets & Revenue (2024):
- Total assets: $174,948,741
- Total giving: $6,127,430
| Metric | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Total Assets | $174,948,741 | $164,817,667 | $149,735,804 |
| Revenue | $7,960,077 | $6,985,739 | $7,917,096 |
| Expenses | $9,018,770 | $8,573,044 | $5,973,214 |
| Qualifying Distributions | $8,264,229 | $7,912,682 | $5,284,406 |
| Net Investment Income | $7,806,797 | $6,083,921 | $7,358,293 |
| Distributable Amount | $8,475,737 | $7,688,253 | $7,830,524 |
Giving Over Time
Total grant dollars and number of grants per year
Grant Insights
How this funder distributes its grants
Top Recipients
Top 10 recipients in 2024
Grant Size Distribution
250 grants across all recorded years
Giving History
Grant recipients and amounts by year
Among its reported 2024 grants, the largest include Catholic Relief Services ($317,595), Catholic Relief Services ($313,867), Catholic Relief Services ($310,873).
| Recipient | Purpose | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| FRONTIER BEHAVIORAL HEALTH SPOKANE, WA | SHELTON AWARD | $100,000 |
| HEAD FIRST DEVELOPMENT SALT LAKE CITY, UT | CHRISTMAS DONATION | $100,000 |
| AMEXTRA INC | SASA! COST EXTENSION GRANT | $20,600 |
| BEYOND BORDERS INC NORRISTOWN, PA | HAITI PROJECT COST EXTENSION GRANT | $10,000 |
| BEYOND BORDERS INC NORRISTOWN, PA | HAITI NEW PROJECT GRANT | $200,000 |
| AMERICAN BIBLE SOCIETY PHILADELPHIA, PA | BSK COST EXTENSION GRANT | $10,000 |
| CAPABLE MAMMOTH LAKES, CA | CAPABLE GRANT | $200,000 |
| CATHOLIC RELIEF SERVICES BALTIMORE, MD | CRS HAITI GRANT | $317,595 |
| CATHOLIC RELIEF SERVICES BALTIMORE, MD | PCMED GRANT | $310,873 |
| CATHOLIC RELIEF SERVICES BALTIMORE, MD | SURAKSHA GRANT | $313,867 |
Leadership & Key People
Leadership team and compensation from IRS filings
Board Members:
- Suzanne Broetje, Chair
- Cheryl Broetje, President
- Ralph Broetje, Treasurer
- Callie Sims, Vice President/Secretary
- Roger Bairstow, Board Member
- Shaun Broetje, Board Member
- Tyler Broetje, Board Member
- Omar Escalera, Board Member
Staff:
- Susan H. Dobkins, Director
- Darilyn D. Hackett, Principal
- Joseph Akure, Program Officer
- Shelly Broetje, Finance & Administration Manager
- Lorna Seadore, Teacher
The foundation employs 6 staff members as of 2023.
Compensation Overview
From 2024 IRS filing
From 2024 filing
| Name | Title | Hours | Compensation |
|---|---|---|---|
| CHERYL BROETJE | PRESIDENT | 2 | — |
| RALPH BROETJE | TREASURER | 2 | — |
| SUZANNE BROETJE | CHAIR | 5 | — |
| ROGER BAIRSTOW | BOARD MEMBER | 2 | — |
| SHAUN BROETJE | BOARD MEMBER | 2 | — |
| TYLER BROETJE | BOARD MEMBER | 40 | $53,587 |
| CALLIE SIMS | VICE PRESIDENT/SECRETARY | 2 | — |
| OMAR ESCALERA | BOARD MEMBER | 2 | — |
Recent News & Activity
Recent developments and announcements
The foundation maintains active grantmaking with recent grant activity documented in 2024 tax filings. The foundation is indicated as "possibly open to applications" based on its latest tax filings, with the "Preselected Only" checkbox not checked, suggesting the foundation may consider unsolicited proposals from organizations meeting its partner criteria.
Vista Outdoor Foundation Completes Inaugural Grant Cycle - National AbilityFrequently Asked Questions
What does Vista Hermosa Foundation fund?
The foundation's approach prioritizes holistic wellbeing rather than project-based outputs or services. The foundation seeks to invest in healing people's connections to God, self, others, and creation, believing that spiritual healing enables communities to lead themselves toward flourishing. The foundation identifies a core belief that community brokenness stems not simply from lack of access to education, healthcare, and job creation, but from deeper spiritual issues including lack of voice,…
How do I apply for a grant from Vista Hermosa Foundation?
**Grant Activity:** • Made 86 grants in the most recent tax year • Median grant size: $54,000 • Grant range: $138,000 to $318,000 • Total giving (2023): $6,127,430 **Partner Selection Criteria:** The foundation uses specific evaluation criteria when exploring new partnerships: • Geographic focus on four regions: Mexico, Haiti, Northern India, and East Africa, with priority given to community-based organizations in specific regions within each country • Support extends beyond funding to include …
Where does Vista Hermosa Foundation make grants?
The foundation funds in four primary international regions: • Mexico (with particular focus on rural communities in southern Mexico) • Haiti • Northern India • East Africa Domestically, the foundation supports work in the tri-cities Washington region, with broader funding across multiple U.S. states including California, Pennsylvania, and various other locations.
What size grants does Vista Hermosa Foundation award?
In 2024, Vista Hermosa Foundation awarded 86 grants totaling $6.1M — an average of about $71K per grant, based on its IRS Form 990 filings.
How much is Vista Hermosa Foundation required to give away each year?
Private foundations must generally distribute about 5% of their assets annually. For 2024, Vista Hermosa Foundation reported a distributable amount of $8.5M on its IRS Form 990-PF — the minimum it must pay out in qualifying distributions.
What is Vista Hermosa Foundation's EIN?
Vista Hermosa Foundation's EIN (Employer Identification Number) is 91-1491438. IRS Form 990 filing data is available on this page for 2020–2024.
Explore Open Grants
Browse active grant opportunities in Vista Hermosa Foundation's focus areas in our free grants database
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Data last updated June 2026. Sourced from IRS Form 990-PF filings. Research dossier generated April 2026.
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